Chef Marc Johnson at Fulton Place has been accumulating good reviews since the restaurant opened in July 2010. Time to give it a try.

Fulton Place is not so big, but the room does not feel crowded thanks to the high ceilings, calculated lighting, and comfortable space in between tables.

We arrived at 7pm to an almost empty restaurant, but the space was quickly filled at around 8pm when the crowd started trickling in.

The wall paper is rather interesting. You see the lizard and the bird, but can you spot the man having dinner with a sheep, or the woman holding a baguette while dancing on a chunk of cheese?

Also love the business card design.

The menu is focused and concise. Starters, main courses, and side dishes all fit on an A4 paper. Desserts go on another.

A complimentary bowl of spiced almonds was brought to our table as we perused the menu.

Amuse-bouche of the day was a shot glass of pumpkin soup with toasted pumpkin seeds. Smooth and aromatic.

Fulton Toast (40 RMB), served with chicken liver pâté and sweet onions, was a good start. The pâté was moist and velvety, and though I’m usually not fond of strong alcoholic flavors in food, the whisky works very well for this dish.

Fulton Places’s Grilled Pork Belly, Tomato, Sauteed Spinach, Almonds(90 RMB) is something that I had set my eyes on for a while. To make this dish, a prime piece of pork belly is preserved in sugar for 6 hours, rinsed, cooked in 74°C overnight, smoked, roasted, then brushed with tomato juice, orange juice, and caramel just before plating. Sure enough, the glistening pork belly came with such strong aroma and satisfying char marks. It was juicy, tender, and very fatty, but the sweet and sour flavors from the fruits provided a good balance.

Slow Cooked Egg, Fresh Morel Mushrooms, Fava Beans, Parmesan Broth (85 RMB). Unfortunately the only thing I remember about this dish is that it was very very salty…

Cinnamon Panna Cotta, Graham Cracker Streusel, Apple Consommé (60 RMB). I’m not a big fan of cinamon unless it’s in the form of cinnamon buns or cinnamon raisin cookies, so I didn’t quite enjoy this panna cotta as the cinnamon flavor is quite strong.

Dinner at Fulton Place was good enough to lure me back. Some other dishes I’d like to try include the seared kampachi with fennel salad, citrus, and elderflower sauce, the Parisian gnocchi with chicken, peas, and carrots, and the polenta cake with Parmesan, tomato fondue, green beans, and frisee. They are also doing an early bird deal Tuesday-Thursday from 6 to 7pm, where you get 2 courses for 198 RMB or 3 courses for 248 RMB. For those who can make it there on time, this might be a good opportunity to try out the restaurant at a more affordable price.